Temperature alone is insufficient to understand hibernation energetics

Liam P. McGuire, Emily M. Johnson, Winifred F. Frick, Justin G. Boyles

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Energy conservation has long been a focal point in hibernation research. A long-standing assumption is that ambient temperature (Ta) largely defines the rate of energy expenditure because of well-known relationships between Ta, metabolic rate and frequency of arousal from torpor. Body condition and humidity also affect energy expenditure but are usually considered secondary factors. We held tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) in captivity under multiple environmental conditions to directly compare the importance of Ta, fat mass and humidity for hibernation energy expenditure. Fat mass was the best predictor of female mass loss, followed by Ta and humidity. However, males had less fat and adopted a more energetically conservative hibernation strategy. Our results demonstrate that understanding the evolution of behavior, physiology and ecology of hibernation requires disentangling the relative contributions of multiple drivers of hibernation energetics, and that Ta is not always the most important factor driving energy expenditure.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberjeb239772
JournalJournal of Experimental Biology
Volume224
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2021

Keywords

  • Body composition
  • Perimyotis subflavus
  • Potential evaporative water loss
  • Torpor
  • Water vapor deficit
  • White-nose syndrome

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